"Keith Marshall" wrote: (clip) to lift a 500 lb combination sheetmetal
machine onto a stand. I hooked it over a rafter in my garage near a
supported end but 900 lb is probably a bit much for that.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
So, how about TWO comealongs? And, since you might also be worried about
the rafter, I suggest putting a cross member on top of several rafters, and
lifting from that, to spread the load. It should also be possible to cut a
couple of 2 x 4's to run between the floor and the rafter, to help support
it. A couple of shingles under each one could be used to get a little
preload.